


The Blood Quill

by belleslettres



Series: Bits and Bobs and Unfinished Thoughts [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Hogwarts Fifth Year, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:13:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26093926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belleslettres/pseuds/belleslettres
Summary: Draco finds Harry on his way back from detention with Professor Umbridge.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Series: Bits and Bobs and Unfinished Thoughts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1876771
Comments: 19
Kudos: 462





	The Blood Quill

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: You know who owns Harry Potter, and you know it isn't me. 
> 
> YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO COPY THIS TO ANOTHER SITE. IF YOU WISH TO TRANSLATE ANY OF MY WORK, PLEASE **_ASK_** FOR PERMISSION. THANK YOU.

It’s just gone eleven. Draco has walked his patrol partner to the door of Ravenclaw Tower, and is heading back down to the dungeons. He actually rather enjoys doing his prefect patrols with Padma Patil—far more than patrolling with Pansy, if he were to tell the truth. 

Which he wouldn’t. Obviously. 

At least not anywhere where Pansy could hear. 

But he and Padma get on quite well, and they spent the evening having a lively discussion about the correct interpretation of the rune “eihwas”, which ultimately ended with Padma agreeing that Draco was probably right. They came across a pair of First Year Hufflepuffs (lost on their way back from the library—and escorted them safely to their common room door) and a trio of third-year Gryffindors (apparently on their way to the Astronomy to smoke some of those Muggle Ciga Rettes—and docked them ten points each, before summoning Professor McGonagall to arrange their detentions.)

Draco turns a corner and sees a figure making his way—almost unsteadily—towards him. 

Harry Potter. 

Draco’s heart does a little leap; he’s going to have fun with this.

“Oh, no, Potter, what do we have here? Out after curfew? That’ll be a detention, and, let’s say fifty points from—”

“Shove off, Malfoy,” Potter says. “You can’t punish me for coming back from detention.”

That, unfortunately, is true enough. And Draco remembers that Potter has been in detention with Umbridge all week. 

Draco knows—maybe better than anyone else—that Harry Potter is _not_ lying about the Dark Lord’s return. He represses a shudder… and wishes Potter _was_ lying; the Dark Lord has been a terrifying specter at Malfoy Manor all summer.

Without actually meaning to, Draco finds himself _looking_ at Potter, and realizing that the other boy is pale and too skinny and just looks... tired. The kind of tired that seeps into your bones and makes them ache. 

And, also, like he’s hiding something. Potter’s turned slightly, holding his left hand where Draco can’t see it.

“What’s in your hand, Potter?” he asks.

“Nothing.”

Draco doesn’t believe him. Not for one second.

“Let me see your hand.”

“No.”

But Draco is lightning fast… he’s almost the best Seeker in the school. He’s only ever lost a Quidditch match to Harry Potter. And, right now, Potter looks like he couldn’t even fly a broom, much less play Quidditch. Much less beat Draco at anything. 

Potter hisses as Draco’s fingers close around his wrist.

But Potter’s hand is empty… and wrapped in a handkerchief. A _blood soaked_ handkerchief. 

“I… what happened?”

“Nothing.” Potter tries to pull his hand away, but Draco holds tight.

“Harry… what happened to your hand?”

“Just forget about it.” He sounds exhausted. 

Draco ignores him, gently unwrapping the handkerchief. 

Oddly… even worryingly… Potter stops trying to reclaim his hand. He just watches Draco with wary eyes.

Potter’s hand is red and swollen—with _words_ still oozing _blood_ scratched into the back of it. 

**_I must not tell lies._ **

“Harry… what?”

“I told you. I’m on my way back from detention. With Umbridge.”

“Yes… but… what…? A Blood Quill made those marks.”

“And…?”

“I mean… she can’t have… they’re not even _legal_.”

“I’m shocked,” Potter says dryly. 

Draco draws himself up. And tries to make his next words come out with some authority. He is a prefect, after all. And a Malfoy. Someday he’ll be one of the leading figures of the Wizarding World.

“Corporal punishment is not allowed at Hogwarts. And it is _not_ appropriate for a professor to be forcing a student to use a dark, an illegal, artefact during detention,” he said. “You should… tell someone.” 

Draco’s last words fall away. Harry’s hand is raw… and looks like it hurts. It looks like it’s _been_ hurting. How many times had Umbridge forced Harry to write out that line? It’s Friday; Harry’s been in detention with her every night this week.

“And, who, exactly, should I tell?”

“Professor McGonagall,” Draco says, quickly. “Or Professor Dumbledore.”

“No, thank you.”

Draco raises his eyebrows slightly. He always thought that Harry Potter was one of Dumbledore’s favorites. Had he been mistaken…? Or has something changed? 

“All right, but someone.”

Potter shrugs. “There isn’t anyone to tell.”

“She has to be stopped. If the parents found out…”

“Yeah, well, I haven’t got any of those, do I?”

Draco feels his heart catch. He does know that Harry Potter is an orphan… everyone knows… he’s _teased_ him about not having any parents. And suddenly it feels desperately wrong—Harry never had a mother to sing him to sleep, or cuddle him close when he fell off his broomstick, or send him sweets. Or care if he’s being forced to scratch his hand open every night.

Of course, he still has those Muggles he lives with… 

“What about your aunt and uncle, then? Surely they…”

“Would be thrilled. To hear that one of my professors is, nightly, forcing me to _slice open my own hand_ and write lines using my own blood for ink for lying about something _that isn’t actually a lie_? It would make their day, maybe even their whole week.”

Draco feels his mouth open, but no sound comes out. Surely, Draco thinks, he’s misunderstanding. Or Harry is lying.

Except that Harry doesn’t _tell_ lies. 

Draco looks at Harry’s hand, still in his own. The cuts aren’t so much as bleeding, but glaring up at him, looking red and angry. He whispers a spell meant to cool and soothe. Nothing but time will heal a Blood Quill’s cuts… but it should help.

Harry hisses again, but this time it sounds more like a sigh.

“You should still tell someone. My father…”

Harry’s eyes sharpen and stare straight into Draco’s.

“Your _father_ was in the graveyard last year when Voldemort tried to kill me.”

Draco tries—and only partly succeeds—to stifle a flinch. He feels his fingers tighten on Harry’s wrist.

“He stood there and did _nothing_ while Voldemort used the Cruciatus curse on me… when he tried to kill me… I thought I was going to die.” Harry takes a deep breath. “I promise you, Draco, your father doesn’t care about a few cuts on my hand.”

Something inside Draco breaks.

He feels his heart beat... once... twice... three times... then he turns Harry’s hand over. And gently presses a kiss into his palm.

_~Fin~_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Writers are fed with kudos and comments!!! I also welcome questions, concerns, and constructive criticism. 
> 
> Series Note: Everything in this series is something that was unearthed while cleaning out old notebooks or computer files... maybe something that never made it into a final fic, maybe a scene that never really took off. If I like it and want to share it, I will clean it up a bit and put it in here. If it says _Fin_ it's because, so far as I am currently aware, it is. 
> 
> Visit me on Tumblr as [belleslettres-love](https://belleslettres-love.tumblr.com/).

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] The Blood Quill](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26754541) by [kingtysonsworld](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingtysonsworld/pseuds/kingtysonsworld)




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